Dispenser which presents a cigarette in an erect position



G. B. CHRISTOPHER DISPENSER WHICH PRESENTS A CIGARETTE IN AN ERECT POSITION Original Filed April 3, 1961 Jan. 28, 1964 GLENN B. CHR/STOPHER /N VE N TOR /Wfi ATTORNEY Stts 3,1195% Patented Jan. 28, 19-64 3,119,520 DISIPENSER WHIKIH PRESENTS A CIGARETTE DI AN ERECT POiiITIGN Glenn B. (Ihristopher, Mlington, Tex.

(2380 N. Riverside Drive, Fort Worth, Tex.) Continuation of appiication Ser. No. 100,414, Apr. 3, 1961. This application Mar. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 265,ilil9 4 Claims. (Cl. 221202) This invention relates to improvements in cigarette dispensers and more particularly to improvements in the type of cigarette dispenser which delivers a cigarette in an erect position to be conveniently picked up by the same hand that operates the dispenser. This application is a continuation of my application, Serial No. 100,414, filed April 3, 1961, now abandoned.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a dispenser of the aforesaid type which at all times operates smoothly and in which the cigarettes cannot become stuck so that they fail to feed as desired through the dispensing mechanism.

Another object of this invention is to provide a dispenser of this type which will handle all the popular sizes of cigarettes without any adjustment, and having a hopper in which any and all such sizes of cigarettes can be placed regardless of length or sequence.

Another object of this invention is to provide a dispenser of this type having a minimum of working parts and which can be economically manufactured and assembled.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a cigarette dispenser which will not in any way mutilate the cigarettes.

These and other advantages will become apparent with the following description and the accompanying drawings which are a part thereof and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary form of the dispenser showing, in phantom, how the cigarette is presented standing up.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section through the dispenser showing the metering bar in its normal or at rest position.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view of the same section shown in FIGURE 2 with the metering bar depressed to the loading position of its cycle.

FIGURE 4 is a view looking down on the dispenser with most of the cover cut away.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary View of the underside of the dispenser.

FIGURE 6 is a cross section through the dispenser as indicated in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 is a cross section through the hopper of the dispenser.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the metering bar removed from the dispenser.

Describing this invention now in detail, the dispenser consists of a box-like base it the upper portion of which is divided by floor 11 sloping toward the front of the machine and defining a tilted rectangular hopper 12 having a pivotally connected cover 13. It is advantageous, but not recited as a limitation, to construct the dispenser generally of molded plastic, which facilitates its production and assembly as well as enhancing its appearance. Thus, the ears 14 which extend from the cover 13 to form a hinge for same can be snapped over the pivot pins 15 molded into the base 10. A pair of ridges 16 lie lengthwise of the hopper floor 11 extending its full length and serve the purpose of a smooth unobstructed runway for the cigarettes 17 to roll on, since the inevitable crumbs of tobacco accumulating in the hopper 12 will fall between the ridges 16 and eventually Work their way out over the lower exposed edge 18 of the floor 11. The cover 13 is supplied with a depending rim 19 continuous with ears 14 which serves to friotionally engage the upper edges of base M) keeping the cover closed. A diagonally depending flange 20 along the lower edge of cover 13 and terminating at ears l4 acts as a baflle to restrict the egress of the stacked cigarettes 17. Notches 21 cut in the upper edges of base 10 make way for the flange 20.

A one piece metering bar 22 consisting partly of a platform 23 and a transverse ledge 24 is pivotally mounted in the front end of base 10 by means of shaft 25. When the metering bar 22 is depressed, the distance between the lower edge of the flange 2t and the upper surface of the ledge 24 is more than one and less than one and one-half cigarette diameter. It is this platform which is depressed by the operators finger-tips each time it is desired to take a cigarette from the machine. The length of this metering bar is such as to allow a certain end play between the sides of base It) for a purpose hereinafter explained. End plates 26 and 27 depend perpendicularly from the platform 23 of the metering bar 22 and are each provided with a keyhole shaped slot 28 which is pressed onto a shaft 25 which is fixed transversely near the front of base 10. End plates 26 and 27 are connected laterally by a depending face 29 which roughly defines a portion of a cylinder with shaft 25 at its center. The upper portion of this face 29 combines with ledge 24 to make an angular trough 39 of a size to receive a single cigarette. A second roughly cylindrical face 31 depends from ledge 24 and attaches at one end to end plate 26. The trough 30 terminates at one end in a slot 32 defined by the corresponding end of cylindrical face 29 and the free end of cylindrical face 31 connected by web 33 depending crosswise of ledge 24. Projections 34 extend perpendicularly from cylindrical face 31 and are located at roughly a quarter of its length inwardly from its ends. The lower edge 35 of cylindrical face 31 constitutes a stop to limit the depression of metering bar 22 when it touches the surface on which the dispenser is resting. The normal distance of the edge 35 from the referred to surface is such that the metering bar 22 may be moved downwardly a distance more than the diameter of a cigarette as above referred to. A spring 36 is coiled around shaft 25 in such a manner that one extending arm 37 bears against the back of web 33 and under ledge 24 and the other extending arm 38 bears against a cleat 39 on base 10, the purpose of said spring being to hold metering bar 22 raised in its at rest position and also shoved endwise along shaft 25 so that end plate 27 bears against base '10. A fulcrum bar 4%) extends forwardly over slot 32 from flange 20 on cover 13 and parallel to ears 14. Fulcrum bar 49 and web 33 are so placed that the horizontal distance between them is slightly less than the diameter of a cigarette when metering bar 22 is at its extreme right hand position with end plate 2.7 bearing against base 10.

A notch 41 in the upper edge of the free end of cylindrical face 31 receives the fulcrum bar 46 and allows metering bar 22 to return to a fully raised position and the bottom of the notch acts as a stop to limit the upward motion of the metering bar. Notches 42 are cut into the lower edge 18 of the sloping floor 11 to allow free passage of projections 34 as metering bar 22 works up and down.

The operation of the cigarette dispenser is as follows: Cigarettes 17 are stacked crosswise of the hopper 12 as shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4. It will be noted that they rest upon ridges 16 which are so spaced that the shortest cigarette ll7a will reach both ridges when against either side wall of hopper 12, the latter being just wide enough to freely accommodate the longest cigarette 17b which is intended to be used. When metering bar 22 is in its at rest position, as in FIGURE 2, the projections 34 constitute a bumper to hold back the stack of cigarettes against gravity. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, in which the cigarettes are stacked two deep, the first cigarette 70 in the upper layer and the first cigarette 17d in the lower layer bear against pro ections 34. When the metering bar 22 is depressed, cigarette 17c rolls over projections 34 and as the downward motion continues, it rolls on into trough 3th as shown in FIGURE 3. Depending flange 2 9 on cover 13 prevents any more cigarettes from the second layer from rolling down.

As shown in FIGURE 6, cigarette 17c now lies in trough 3% with one end extending over slot 32 and under fulcrum bar 48. In FIGURE 6 the pressure on metering bar 22 has been released till it has lifted cigarette 170 to where it just touches fulcrum bar 40. As the force of spring 36 raises metering bar 22 to its extreme upper position, cigarette 170 is flipped upright between fulcrum bar 40 and web 33 as shown by the dotted lines in FIG- URE 6. At the same time metering bar 22 moves to the left against light pressure from spring arm 37 to accommodate the diameter of cigarette 170 so that it holds it without crushing, yet securely enough to stand until removed by hand. As the metering bar 22 returns to its at rest position holding cigarette 17c erect, projections 34 impinge upon cigarette 17d forcing it back into the position shown in FIGURE 2, or upwards and back into the position formerly occupied by cigarette 17c. This agitates the whole pile of cigarettes, dislodging any that may have hung up, and a new 170 or 17:! rolls over against projections 34. A feature of the operation is that the entire pile of cigarettes is shaken up each time a cigarette is accepted by the metering bar, thus making the dispenser practically stick proof.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary construction herein shown and described, but may be made in various ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cigarette dispenser of the type designed to present one cigarette at a time in an erect position: a base, a hopper with parallel sides and an inclined floor greater in width than the length of a cigarette, said hopper being mounted on said base, an opening at the lower end of said hopper the full width thereof, said opening having an effective height of more than one but less than one and one-half cigarette diameters, a single piece metering bar pivotally mounted at the end of said base, said metering bar having one face opposing and parallel to said opening and normally blocking said opening, means restricting the movement of said metering bar downward from normal more than the diameter of a cigarette, means for restricting the lateral movement of said metering bar in one direction from normal less than the diameter of a cigarette, spring means for returning said metering bar upwardly and laterally to its normal position, a trough on said metering bar the size to receive a cigarette and parallel to said face, a slot in the bottom of said trough wider than the diameter of a cigarette and extending from one end of the trough less than half its length, a cover for said hopper, a fulcrum bar attached to said cover above said opening and extending substantially across said slot and into it to below the level of the bottom of said trough and less than the diameter of a cigarette away from the inner end of said slot when said metering bar is in said normal position.

2. A cigarette dispenser as described in claim 1 and having at least two projections spaced apart approximately the length and height of the diameter of a cigarette perpendicularly disposed upon said face of said metering bar opposing said opening in said hopper, said projections extending into the lower portion of said hopper and notches cut in said inclined bottom of said hopper to allow the free movement vertically and laterally of said projections when said metering bar is operated.

3. A cigarette dispenser as described in claim 2 and having at least two ridges along said inclined bottom of said hopper, said ridges being substantially parallel to the sides of said hopper and extending to said opening in the lower end of said hopper, the top of said opening being more than the diameter of a cigarette from the top of said ridges.

4. A cigarette dispenser of the type designed to present one cigarette at a time in an erect position: a base, a hopper with parallel sides and an inclined floor greater in width than the length of a cigarette, said hopper being mounted on said base, an opening at the lower end of said hopper the full width thereof, said opening having an effective height of more than one but less than one and one-half cigarette diameters, a single piece metering bar pivotally mounted at the end of said base, said metering bar having one face opposing and parallel to said opening and normally blocking said opening, means restricting the movement of said metering bar downward from normal more than the diameter of a cigarette, spring means for returning said metering bar upwardly to its normal position, a trough on said metering bar the size to receive a cigarette and parallel to said face, a slot in the bottom of said trough wider than the diameter of a cigarette and extending from one end of the trough less than half its length, a cover for said hopper, a fulcrum bar attached to said cover above said opening and extending substantially across said slot and into it to below the level of the bottom of said trough and less than the diameter of a cigarette away from the inner end of said slot when said metering bar is in said normal position.

No references cited. 

1. A CIGARETTE DISPENSER OF THE TYPE DESIGNED TO PRESENT ONE CIGARETTE AT A TIME IN AN ERECT POSITION: A BASE, A HOPPER WITH PARALLEL SIDES AND AN INCLINED FLOOR GREATER IN WIDTH THAN THE LENGTH OF A CIGARETTE, SAID HOPPER BEING MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, AN OPENING AT THE LOWER END OF SAID HOPPER THE FULL WIDTH THEREOF, SAID OPENING HAVING AN EFFECTIVE HEIGHT OF MORE THAN ONE BUT LESS THAN ONE AND ONE-HALF CIGARETTE DIAMETERS, A SINGLE PIECE METERING BAR PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT THE END OF SAID BASE, SAID METERING BAR HAVING ONE FACE OPPOSING AND PARALLEL TO SAID OPENING AND NORMALLY BLOCKING SAID OPENING, MEANS RESTRICTING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID METERING BAR DOWNWARD FROM NORMAL MORE THAN THE DIAMETER OF A CIGARETTE, MEANS FOR RESTRICTING THE LATERAL MOVEMENT OF SAID METERING BAR 